2019 Volkswagen Touareg SUV specs, price, and release date

Volkswagen is all set to unveil its next SUV to the world- the Touareg SUV. At first glance, you might well be forgiven for mistaking the Touareg for the new Tiguan, at least at first glance, for the similarities are certainly there. The Touareg has the chunky proportions and broad and blocky lines of the Tiguan, and a casual onlooker will not be able t tell the difference. All said and done, however, it cannot be denied that the Touareg SUV s one good-looking bloke of a car.One might blame Volkswagen for sticking to their existing designs and never taking a step out of their comfort zone, but you don’t really see the season, seeing how its predecessor was blessed with neat lines and a stunning performance.

2019 Volkswagen Touareg SUV size

Of course, the official unveiling is still far away, and all the information we have received so far on the 2019 Volkswagen Touareg SUV comes from the spy shots taken of the car as the test model was taken for a drive. There is really nothing new about the styling so far; the mid-range SUV has clearly been modeled on the design of the preview concept car released by Volkswagen some time back: the T-Prime GTE. Its difference with the Tiguan, however, is most prominent in its vastness of stature and size, establishing it firmly in the ranks of the double rowed, luxury-focused SUVs. In size, it falls somewhere between the new three-row Atlas and the Tiguan. However, unlike the Alas, which is also a mid-size SUV, the Touareg is shorter. This is obviously because the Touareg accommodates only 5 seats as opposed to the Atlas’ seven-seater model.

2019 Volkswagen Touareg SUV exterior

On the Atlas, you can see the character lines along the side of the car sitting below the door handles, whereas on the 2019 Volkswagen Touareg SUV they are above the door handles. The front end has clearly been inspired by the Arteon four-door coupe, as is evidenced by the connected headlights and grille. The hood and bumper are thrown into sharp relief by the defining lines surrounding the front end. There is a well-defined crease running along the entire length of the car. The spy photos show a blue model of the car, which features black wheels. We do not yet know if there will be any other colors yet, but there will possibly be a red-hued model as well, going by the preceding vehicles. The prototype has fully LED 3D taillights, which will probably be standard across all the models.

2019 Volkswagen Touareg SUV interior

It is not only on the outside that the 2019 Volkswagen Touareg SUV is adopting a more dynamic approach. On the inside too, we can expect to a see a whole lot of improvements and upgrades. There will definitely be a lot more technological surprises hidden inside the car, with possibly a highly upgraded cabin and console, and inbuilt high-level security and road safety systems. Of course, none of that has come to light as of yet, since Volkswagen is staying completely tight-lipped about their new launch, and no photos of the interior of the car have emerged on the internet as of yet. However, we can safely assume that we are looking at a digital instrument cluster and some kind of AI driving assistant. It is possible that some of the technology will be semi-autonomous.

2019 Volkswagen Touareg SUV platform

The 2019 Volkswagen Touareg SUV’s platform is the same as the Audi Q7 platform. It is going to be the SUV variant of Volkswagen’s own MLB Evo, a welcome change from the already outdated PL52 platform. The wheelbase, of course, will be shorter than that of the Audi, given that there are only two rows of seats in the Volkswagen. This platform is also being shared by the Lamborghini Urus, Bentley Bentayga, and the Porsche Cayenne. This makes sense; the platform is light, and the car will save a lot of weight, much like the Audi Q7, which was weighed at just under 2 tonnes, thanks to the platform. It is being estimated that the MLB Evo platform will also be used in a different, full-size SUV that will be modeled entirely on the T-Prime Concept GTE Volkswagen revealed in the 2016 Beijing Auto Show.

2019 Volkswagen Touareg SUV engines

The engines will, of course, vary in accordance with the target market, and all we know so far is that the European markets will see the 2019 Volkswagen Touareg SUV equipped with a 3.0 TDI. This much at least is certain about this new offering, as was clearly hinted by Volkswagen when they upsized the Amarok pickup to the V6. It is likely that there will be a choice between two power outputs, same as the Q7- 218 horsepower and 272 horsepower.

2019 Volkswagen Touareg SUV powertrain

A turbocharged VR6 might actually be the right powertrain for the 2019 Volkswagen Touareg SUV. There are no sockets to be seen in the spy photos, although the GTE concept was a plug-in car with an electric motor and 2.0 TSI. In the United States, it will probably be a V6 engine, although we are certainly rooting for the supercharged 3.0 liter V6 from Audi Q7 as opposed to the much used 3.6 VR6 of the last Touareg. All models will come with all-wheel drive and eight-speed automatic transmission, although manual transmission might be an option in some countries and models. It is also likely that the SUV will be a plug-in hybrid option, employing a turbocharged inline four engine to supplement the electric drivetrain.

2019 Volkswagen Touareg SUV price and release date

The 2019 Volkswagen Touareg SUV is slated to be released in Europe sometime at the end of 2018. United States will probably not see its arrival at all, since the Atlas is on fire in the country, and Volkswagen is fully focused on promoting and making the most out of the trusted vehicle. This much can be deduced from the fact that the company dropped the 2017 Touareg out of circulation in the country son after it was released. It will be higher priced than both the Atlas and the Tiguan, probably starting somewhere around $50,000 USD.

Also read: Volkswagen Touran 2019 Release Date and Price

The 2019 Volkswagen Touareg SUV is going to come up across stiff competition in the forms of Jeep Grand Cherokee, Mercedes Benz GLE Class, Lexus RX, BMW X5, and Lincoln MKX. But it is widely anticipated, and for good reason too: this is one of the first in the crossover lineup Volkswagen has finally gotten around to making, having already been a late entry into the SUV market with the first Touareg in the early 2000’s. Although it is unlikely that it will capture the popular market as well as the Atlas, it is being hoped that the Touareg will pose as an upmarket competitor to the likes of the popular Jeep Cherokee.